Widowed Old Man Matthews, who has lived his entire life as a farmer, has moved his family of himself and his four adolescent to young-adult offspring--Deborah, Phineas, Abigail, and Susan--to a just-purchased farm in Millwood, following the ecological demise of their last farm on which he was able to collect insurance. He has a "my way or the highway" mentality about most things in life, most specifically about running a farm, believing that his experience trumps everything else. However, he likes to portray himself as fair and democratic, and all important family matters are decided by family vote. He has these votes as he and the other family members know that Abby and Phin will always vote with him, Abby to retain his favor and Phin out of fear regardless of his true thoughts as their father always convinces out of coercion. Such ideas against his include Debbie believing the farm too expensive for its many deficiencies, and Susie wanting a few dollars to purchase two lambs to raise as something all her own, although her father characterizes this want as selfish in light of his want to buy a tractor rather than renting one. David Barkley, the local agricultural county agent, tries to advise Matthews about certain aspects of the farm, from dealing with the different climate compared to their former farm site, to topographical and geological issues, but all that advice falling on Matthews' deaf ears. David also becomes Susie's ally as he is a supporter of and advisor for the local 4H Club; the lamb project would be a perfect fit if Susie would become a member, which she desperately wants. David and Debbie, who have an unspoken attraction to each other, do whatever they can to make a go of the farm despite Matthews' actions, and before those actions irreparably damage the land--and/or worse, kill someone. Written by Huggo

• Plot Summary

• widower
• family-farm
• daughters
• teenage-son
• man-woman-romance
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• Drama

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